Vikings plunder Newport football 48-0

Williams Valley’s transition from the run-first Wing-T to the pass-happy spread has been a smashing success. Only cellar-dwelling East Juniata stands between them and a perfect 10-0 season and a Tri-Valley League title.

On Oct. 26, the Vikings rolled through Katchmer Field, dominating in every facet of the game as they pounded Newport 48-0. While the style of offense has changed, the results have not. Williams Valley has outscored the Buffaloes 230-47 over the last five seasons.

Offensively, Williams Valley carved out a 375-174 edge in yardage, including 190 passing yards and three touchdowns on seven completions, and added TDs from its defense and special teams.

The chief Buffalo tormenter was Viking senior Owen Daniel, who caught four balls for 107 yards and two scores. Daniel also returned an interception (96 yards) and a punt (74 yards) for a score.

“We like to spread the ball around and get it to guys in open space,” said first-year Viking skipper Tim Savage.

Williams Valley did not wait long to grab this game by the throat. Daniel returned the opening kick 41 yards to the Buffalo 41. Five plays later Cole Barnhardt galloped in from 30 yards out.

Daniel then returned a Newport punt 74 yards to make it 15-0.

Newport launched a drive of its own, picking up three first downs and reaching the Viking 34. A 10-yard Justin Temple to Jordan Clegg connection and a pass interference call highlighted the march. However, a sack stalled the drive.

A failed fake punt gave the Vikes the ball at their own 42, and five plays later QB Stephen Sedesse found Brendan Miller for a 45-yard scoring strike to increase the lead to 21-0.

Following a Buffalo three-and-out, Barnhardt, who lead all rushers with 73 yards on seven carries blasted for 26 to the Buffs 37 and three plays later Sedesse hit Daniel for a 32-yard touchdown to make lead 28-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Newport has had trouble getting out of the starting block all season, as eight of nine opponents have scored first and the Buffaloes have been outscored a combined 101-7 in the opening frames.

Following another Newport punt, it looked like the Vikings were on their way to another score, Trevor Whelski ripped off 45 of his 60 rushing yards to start the drive. However, the Buffalo defense came up strong. Cody Legge batted down a Sedesse pass and Tanner Wood caught him in the backfield for a sack to force a turnover on downs.

Newport punted, but the Buffalo defense made its second stop in a row as Clegg recovered a Viking fumble. However, James Deiter picked off Temple and returned the ball 51-yards to give Williams Valley a 35-0 halftime lead.

Newport got a big break early in the second half when Cody Legge recovered a muffed punt at the Viking 26, but Daniel’s interception and 96-yard return quashed the Newport momentum and put the Valley up 41-0. Alex Gonzalez blocked the extra point.

Joe Bower’s 32-yard kickoff return again put the Buffalo offense in Viking territory and a 13-yard Temple rumble, which resembled a rugby scrum as he dragged tacklers along, got Newport into the red zone for the first time. However, Rummel recovered a loose ball to end the threat.

Five plays later, Sedesse went over the top of the Buffalo defense, connecting with an open Daniel for 63 yards to make the final margin 48-0.

Newport had one last chance to avoid the shutout. Temple took off for 18 yards to move the ball to the Viking 43, then hit Bower for 27 more (the longest Newport play of the night), but Codie Miller intercepted Temple’s fourth-down heave to preserve the whitewash.

Newport coach Todd Rothermel tipped his hat to Williams Valley afterward saying, “They are a very good football team. They have great athletes all over the field and were very well prepared.”

He also praised his team for giving everything it had, despite being overmatched.

“Games like this give us a gauge as to where we are” Rothermel said. “I knew coming in we would have to build pretty much from the ground up. Our kids fought hard — as hard as they could.”

Buffalo notes

This was the first time Newport was shutout in 25 games.

The Vikings have shut out Newport in 11 of their 39 meetings.

Temple completed four passes for 54 yards and now has 875 career passing yards.

Brian Auxt led the team in rushing with 52 yards on 16 carries and has a team-high 472 for the season.

Dilan Stuck and Gonzalez tied with a team high-five tackles.

Wood made four tackles plus a sack.

Newport hosts Halifax this Friday to close the season. Halifax leads the all-time series 28-18 and won last year 34-6.